You’re a pure blood, stop acting like one of those scar faced animals! That was the end of that.

The smile faded from her lips and the small black beauty mark on her nose wrinkled with distaste. Little Kaia slid down from the top of the table where she was playing with her friends as a light blush crept across her cheeks. She brushed off her pristine white dress while avoiding eye contact with her playmates. Being called a Dushkari was the biggest insult. Four year old Kaia already knew that and she knew to be ashamed.

Of course, it was because she was the princess. The fundamentalist princess of separatists. She was the poster child for her friends, the girl that their parents constantly doted on. She was smart, she was pretty, and she was human in the purest form. Kaia grew up in a time where tolerance for the others became more prevalent; and a time where her parents grew more elitist and prejudice, along with the people they associated with. As part of the shrinking population that could consider themselves completely pure blood, she was praised by the radical group her family was allied with; people who wanted to keep the line between Humans and Dushkari as distinct as possible. She, along with the other kids her age, were expected to act in a way that was mightier than everyone else. That including humans tolerant of the Dushkari, those that were mixed-blood, and of course the Dushkari themselves.

That ideology was instilled into Kaia as early as she could walk. If they had markings, she had to stay away. It was almost how most kids were taught to avoid strangers, she was taught how to stray from those different than her. Toddler Kaia was never allowed free reign and at four years old, always protecting that image projected onto her by her parents.

***

Under the rule of the jungle the weak gets devoured ||

***

Hey, Ai. Who is the hell is this scarface talking to? You? Hey! Don't speak to her!

She winced as she heard the limp body make contact with the concrete wall. Running a hand through her hair, she watched as the older boy dug his elbow into the slightly smaller ones ribcage, a cry for help escaping him. She watched as the younger boy’s skin flushed bright, the scars on the back of his neck enflamed with embarrassment and distress. With a fistful of the small Dushkari boys hair in his hand Bobby turned and glanced at her, excitement dancing across his face. Shoving the poor boy to the floor, whose name Kaia failed to recall, Bobby dug his heels down. Another cry for help and another proud laugh from the boy Kaia at that moment regretted to call her boyfriend..

He was just protecting me. He didn’t want me to talking to him that was all. He knew it would be bad if I was seen talking to one of them. She continued to convince herself as she looked down at the small boy on the floor before her. His shirt was torn from the altercation. His body raw from being assaulted, the scars that lined his skin more exposed than ever before. If he ever wanted to hide his identity, any possibility was now gone.

Thanks to Kaia.

Why didn’t I do anything? Oh, right.

High school was a tough time, even for Kaia despite being “pretty, smart, and pure”. However, conflicted emotions with how she interacted with Dushkari and pressure from both her parents and peers made her teenage life hell. Granted, she didn’t change much from her younger years; she kept the princess act up, and very well might she add. She realized that listening to her parents and giving them the façade they wanted was much easier than dealing with the brunt of their ignorant wrath. She saw what they could do second hand, the thought of her brother stung the back of her mind:

He made a mistake. A bad one.

She had never seen her mother so red before. She had never heard her father scream so loud. She had held her father back from doing on god knew what to her older brother. She couldn’t stop their mother though. Scratching, hitting, and kicking at her brother. He wasn’t much older than Kaia, just four years her senior, out of high school, practically a man. Tall for their family and a body that was far from lanky, Kieran usually was able to hold his own. Only this time she watched in fear as his usually smiling, optimistic persona shrink in the rage of their mother, taking the beatings as she screamed murder on the top of her lungs.

He didn’t do anything terrible. Just had a child out of wedlock, something that Kaia thought was easily forgivable.

Her parents thought so too. Sure, it was disappointing. They would rather hear wedding bells before the laugh of a baby, but it was their son. Their grandchild.

It was just the fact that the baby’s mother was Dushkari, a scar faced animal, demon, one of “them”.

Tears sprout from her eyes as she watched her brother defeated, holding tightly onto her father as he shouted obscenities at his only son.

Why didn’t you just leave? Why did you come here?

This dude is a fucking idiot, just like Kieran. Kaia hissed and pushed the taller aside as he laughed before she was kneeling down to look over the smaller boy huddled on the floor. Bruising was starting to form below his distinct markings. A sight that frightened, yet intrigued Kaia. She had never seen their markings before.

Bobby shut the hell up. And don’t you ever say his name again. She tried to give the boy a smile which quickly turned to a scorn as he pushed past her, throwing Kaia off balance and onto the floor. Watching him run off made her stomach sink as tears fell from his eyes, cursing quickly under his breath as he ran by.

The situation was tough. He was her only brother but now he was practically exiled from their family. The only mention of him came from Kaia quietly at dinner with her parents, usually resulting in stinging glares and disappointed gestures. The situation only left Kaia with more lines to rehearse.

Pretend he doesn’t exist. He isn’t your brother. You do not have a brother. You are your parents pride and joy.

But it killed her. She loved her brother dearly; he was her best friend. He was the only person that could seemingly understand the constant pressure that their parents placed on them. She wanted to protect him but at the same time: her parents were terrifying. The brother who see used to talk with day and night disappeared from her life in an instant.

So to get through life, she gave them what they wanted. An act. She smiled, and scorned on command. She had the perfect pure blooded boyfriend and the perfect group of friends. She was popular and feared. Teachers loved her, she had the group of friends and better yet, anyone associated with the Dushkari hated her. Just the way her parents wanted it. Just the way it needed to be to keep the peace. And that is why she kept the act up. She was terrified of her parents and the power they held over her.

***

Clarity is a state of mind freedom ain't real, who's sold you that lie? ||

***

Mom, guess what! My idea is being considered for the final draft! Kaia squealed with happiness and she plopped her work bag down on the table. She had only started working for iDevice’s software team for a month and her boss already was considering her work. Granted, she was still just an assistant, but her dream of working up the ladder was starting to fall together. The long nights in the office and slipping her boss small snippets of her work had paid off and Ai was glowing with excitement.

That’s great honey! Kaia’s mother cared for her in the least and tended to be encouraging with what her daughter wanted to do. She was willing to listen and be supportive, happy that her princess was able to find her calling in life. How did that happen so quickly?

One night when I was working late with him, Costas asked for my rough drafts. He instantly loved my one idea… And she was off. Kaia was incredibly passionate about what she was doing. Having graduated high school a year early, she was able to kick off her next level of education before most her age. Doing three years of university on Earth gave Kaia different insight on life, something she was able to put to use in her current line of work. She was able to take what she saw that people needed and integrated it with the technology they use every day. Not only was she working in a job that made her feel important, her coworkers made her feel loved. Something she realized she was lacking in the first nineteen years of her life. Kaia continued to talk about her work, not noticing her mother’s changing expression every time a certain name was mentioned.

Ai, who is this ‘Costas’ you keep mentioning? A weird question, but it didn’t faze Kaia. She shook her head quickly as she moved around the kitchen.

He’s my boss mama. Costas is his last name. That’s what he told me to call him… ah, where was I? Did I tell you how he was planning on integrating it?

Kaia, what is he? Stopping in her tracks, she turned back to her mother. No, no, no. Not this. Not again.

Mama…

Kaia Qian, answer me. If there was any more venom in her mother’s voice they would both be dead.

He’s one of them, mama.

A small laugh escaped her petite mother’s lips. You’re getting a new job. Ridiculous. Expected, but absolutely ridiculous.

Mom, what? I can’t work there because my boss is Dushkari? You’re a doctor for god’s sake! You take care of them! Dad works in the government with them constantly and I’m the one not allowed to work with one Dushkari? She was yelling now, her face flushed with anger at the situation her mother was putting her in. It was frightening how her parents disliked them so much, despite their high interaction with Dushkari at their jobs. Her mother becomes responsible for their wellbeing and her dad is protecting them, yet they are the two most bigoted people Kaia had ever met. She didn’t even understand the hate against the Dushkari. And she didn’t understand why she played along for so long.

Livid, that much was clear to Kaia, her mother stood firmly in her place. Stone cold and venomous, her mother’s voice was quiet but clear.

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